Method of making spectacle temples



Jan. 8, 1924. 1,479,936

- F. A. STEVENS METHOD OF MAKING SPECTACLE TEMPLES Original Filed June 22 @921 VH2 [1111:1111 :Z::1: I I I I I I :IIIIL] I l Z 1 A I /l Afforfz eyk Patentedv J an. 8, i924.

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rnnnnarox A. s'rnvnns, or rnovinnnon, nnonn ISLAND, assmnoax'ro' STEVENS AND comm, me, or raovrnnnor, nnonn ISLAND, a conrona'rron or nnonn ISLAND.

mn'rrron or MAKING srno'm onn renews...

Original application filed June 22, 1921, Serial'Ne. 478,479. Divided and thia anplioation filed September to ing application, Serial No. 4219, 179, filed June 22, 1921.

Thepresent invention relates to methods of making spectacle temples of the combinedrnetal-andmon-metallic type, and it has for to its object to provide a new and improved temple of the said type that shall be more eiiicient, more durable, neater and of simpler construction than any heretofore proposed,

and an improved method of making the 2 same. t

' With the above end in. view, the invention consists of theimproved method of making spectacle temples hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and 2 defined in the appended claims.

lln the drawings, Fig. 1 is a view of a nonmetallic tube adapted to be combined witlfa metal rodto form a temple according to a preferred embodiment of the present-invention; Fig. 2 is a section taken upon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4-show steps of the preferred method of mounting a metal and within the tube of Figs. 1 and'2; and

Figs. 5 and 6 show two types ofi temples '35 constructed accordingto the present invention. I The undesirable features of spectacles constituted of plain metal rods being well understood, many atempts have heretofore 4 been made to produce a more desirable and eficient article. Some of these efforts have been restricted to the useof metal parts only. In other cases, the temples have been made of bothmetal andnon-metallic parts.

As aninstance of this latter type of temple,

a metal rod has been enclosed within a nonmetallic tube of such'material as rubber; but after a very short period of use behind the ear, the perspiration and heat of the wearer begin to soften the rubber, causing it to wear away in an unsightly manner, rendering it mushy, and dirt-collecting, and

in other respects becoming very annoying v and uncomfortable. Rubber tubes on To all whom it may concerml tulness" of the temple becomes impaired.

Serial No. 497,641. 1

temples have therefore never proved to be successful in practice. The use of celluloid, zylonite, and similar substances suggested itself some years ago, but prior to the present invention, no" satisfactory temple composed of such-substance combined with metal had been invented, though many kinds'of temples had been proposed and tried. Tempgles the forward portions of which were of metal and the rear portions of hylonite have been in limited use, ior example, but they are seldom seen any more. For one thing, there-is constant breakage at the point of junction between the metal and the zylonite; and for another thing, the unreinforced zylonite can not. hold its shape it and therefore becomes very soon a source of annoyance. it has accordingly been proposed to bend. a zylonite sheet around a metal temple rod and to secure. the zylonite to the metal by such expedients as pressure, heat, biting projecting parts and the like; but heat and perspiratlon soon cause the zylonite sheet to open out again and the use- Prion, to the present invention, therefore, no really successful temple of the combined metal-and-non-metallic type had been produced.'- 5 j According to the present invention, the metal rod is. mounted in the bore of a seamless tube that is constituted of a non-metallic material having the roperty that, when exposed to-air, it will shrink in a'direction away from the air. Zylonite, celluloid, etc., are such materials. No matter how fully W cured these materials may be, theyalways shrink further inthe manner described when exposed to the atmosphere. In order to avoid circumlocution of language, therefore, all such substances will hereinafter .bere- W ferred' tom the specification and the claims under the single term zylonite,'though it will be understood that the term is'here in--. tended to include not zylonite alone, but all substances having the above-described property. The zylomte tube is prepared with. a bore of sufiicient diameter to admit the metal 1 rod, but preferably not too freely. Once the rod is in place in the bore of the tube, the air is therefore shut ofi from the walls of the bore, and so 'allfurther shrinking of the tube is in a direction away from the airexposed exterior of the tube and is against the rod. The more that the semi-liquid ingredients of the zylonite volatilize into the air, the more tightly does the material of the tube shrink or collapse in against the rod until, after a comparatively short period of time, the tube hugs the rod so tightly that it becomes impossible to separate them except by cutting or paring away the material of the tube. A much better spectacle temple is thus produced than any heretofore proposed. It may be bent into any desired shape and it will hold that'shape. The parts are so firmly united that they cannot easily be separated so that the temple is very durable. And the cost of manufacture is great ly reduced.

The temple may be easily and quickly produced by simply inserting a metal rod into a zylonite tube of the proper dimensions, and simply permitting the zylonite tube to shrink into tight engagement with the rod. This will produce avery satisfactory temple, but some additional holding means, such as spurs or other biting parts, are desirable if .the temple is'to be used before the zylonite is allowed to set. This simple construction can be greatly improved, and the process of setting hastened, by softening the bore of the tube with acetone, alcohol, or other solvent prior to introducing the rod into the bore. The diameter of the bore is thereby made uniform and he zylonite will thus initially engage the rod as closely as possible, thereby more effectively shutting out the air from the walls of the bore and hastening by so much the tight shrinking process. The softened zylonite also acts ,as a lubricant to permit easy entry of the rod.

According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention that is herein illustrated and described acetone or some other softening element is first squirted or otherwise injected into the bore 30 of the zylonite tube 32. This will have the effect of softening the inner wall or bore of the tube. The

.softened material expands beyond its original demensions, thereby decreasing the diameter of the bore from the full-line circle 36 to the dottedline circle 38, indicated in Fig. 2. A metal rod 40 of, somewhat greater diameter. than the diameter of the circle 38 is then inserted into the bore and forced endwise thereinto, driving the softened material in advance of it, as will be understood from the showing at 42 of Fig.

The mass of the softened material accumulates until, when the rod 40 has been forced into the tube a predeterimned "distance,

entirely closed the bore, which conditionis illustrated at 4A, Fig. 4:. The softened the softened material 42 will have solid mass. The inner end 46 of the tube excluded from the bore bythe plug 44. and

at the compressed portion 46. The resulting structure may then be bent into the customary shape, illustrated at 48, completing the temple. The forward end of the rod 40 is shown integrally provided with an end piece or hinge member 50, whereby the temple may be hinged to a spectacle frame.

The temple itself is not claimed herein, as it may be made by othermethods than that constituting the subject matter of the present invention, and it forms the subject matter of a separate divisional application Serial No. 572,154, filed July 1, 1922.

odifications may be made by persons skilled in the art, and such modifications are? intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the present invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new. is:

1. The method of making a spectacle temple that comprises mounting .a reinforcing rod in ,a seamless zylonite tube, bending the tube with the reinforcing rod therein to the shape of a temple, and permitting the zylonite tube to shrink into tight engagement with the reinforcing rod.

2. The method of makin a spectacle temple adapted to be hinge at one end that comprises mounting a reinforcing rod in a seamless zylonite tube, plugging the other end of the tube to conceal the corresponding end of the rod, bending the portion of the tube adj aoent to the plugged end, with the reinforcing rod therein, to the shape of a temple, and permitting the zylonite tube to shrink into tight engagement with the reinforcing rod.

'3. The method of making a spectacle temple adapted to be hinged at one end that comprises softening the wall of the liore of a zylonite tube with a solvent, forcllllg a reinforcing rod of diameter greater t an the diameter of the bore of thesoftened tube into the bore so as to cause a portion of the softened zylonite to collectin the ing the said other end of the tube with thereinforoing rod enclosed therein to the shape of a temple, and permitting the zylonite to shrink into tight engagement with the reinforcing rod.

In testimony thereof, ll have hereunto the rod, permitting the colrnnnnntcn Stevens.

subscribed myname this 29 day of Aug, l 

